Communication Device Resource Allocation Based On Medical Data Criticality and Resource Status

• US 20150066538A1
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Healthcare Informatics Incorporated (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rajan, Rajeev Durai, Sezan, Muhammed Ibrahim, Sheynblat, Leonid, DANTSKER, Eugene, Abdel-Malek, Aiman Albert, Jones, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 10,025,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Methods and devices are disclosed for managing a resource of a communication device configured to process and communicate medical data in addition to other data. The systems and devices may implement the method, including determining whether to switch to a medical mode based on at least one signal. In response to determining to switch to the medical mode, the communication device may be switched to the medical mode. A resource status associated with a plurality of resources used by the communication device may be weighed against a medical data criticality associated with the medical data managed by the communication device. The method may include allocating a resource of the plurality of resources on a sliding priority scale. The allocating may include allocating a resource of the plurality of resources preferentially to the medical data over the other data.

Claims

1. A method of managing a resource of a communication device, the communication device configured to process and communicate medical data in addition to other data, the method comprising:

determining whether to switch to a medical mode based on at least one signal;

in response to determining to switch to the medical mode, switching to the medical mode;

weighing a resource status associated with a plurality of resources used by the communication device against a medical data criticality associated with the medical data managed by the communication device; and

allocating the plurality of resources on a sliding priority scale.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating further comprises allocating a resource of the plurality of resources preferentially to the medical data over the other data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal is one of an on-signal and an off-signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal is one of an always on-signal and an always off-signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether to switch is based on one of:

a manual control;

a first processor control that automatically switches into the medical mode or a regular mode based on input from the plurality of resources;

a second processor control that switches into the medical mode or the regular mode based on signaling from the plurality of resources; and

a factory setting.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein weighing a resource status is performed by a remote resource separate from the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the plurality of resources includes at least one of:

diverting at least a first part of the medical data to a first onboard resource of the communication device;

or

diverting at least a second part of the medical data from a second onboard resource to a remote resource of the communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the plurality of resources includes at least one of:

ensuring a predetermined portion of use of the resource is available for managing the medical data;

or

ensuring the medical data has precedence over the other data with regard to the use of a third onboard resource of the communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the plurality of resources includes dedicating the resource exclusively to managing the medical data and preventing the resource from being used for the other data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the plurality of resources includes diverting the medical data to the resource, wherein the resource is a dedicated resource used exclusively for managing the medical data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the plurality of resources includes preventing the plurality of resources from being used for managing the other data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a dedicated resource in response to determining to switch to the medical mode, wherein the dedicated resource is used for the medical data and restricted from being used for the other data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the activated dedicated resource is used for the other data to a limited extent based on a combined weighting given to the resource status and the medical data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the activated dedicated resource is a system on chip (SOC) onboard the communication device.

15. The method of claim 14, where in the SOC is a medical grade SOC.

16. A communication device configured to process and communicate medical data in addition to other data, the communication device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

determining whether to switch to a medical mode based on at least one signal;

in response to determining to switch to the medical mode, switching to the medical mode;

weighing a resource status associated with a plurality of resources used by the communication device against a medical data criticality associated with the medical data managed by the communication device; and

allocating the plurality of resources on a sliding priority scale.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the memory and the processor are coupled and integrated together on a system on chip (SOC).

18. The communication device of claim 17, further comprising at least one of:

a radio coupled and integrated on the SOC;

or

a power source coupled and integrated on the SOC.

19. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a communication device, coupled to a memory, to perform operations for processing and communicating medical data in addition to other data comprising:

determining whether to switch to a medical mode based on at least one signal;

in response to determining to switch to the medical mode, switching to the medical mode;

weighing a resource status associated with a plurality of resources used by the communication device against a medical data criticality associated with the medical data managed by the communication device; and

allocating the plurality of resources on a sliding priority scale.

20. A method of managing a resource of a communication device, the communication device configured to process and communicate medical data in addition to other data, the method comprising:

receiving, at an inference engine of the communication device, a plurality of data associated with a user'"'"'s condition;

determining a medical data criticality by combining the plurality of data; and

determining a resource requirement based at least in part on the medical data criticality.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of data is associated with at least two different types of data.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of data comprises at least one of environmental data, context data, physiological and biological data, health record data, long-term historical health data, directly input data, individual health risk data, personal genomic data, behavioral data, or public alerts.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining the medical data criticality comprises generating a criticality indicator corresponding to the medical data criticality.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the generating the criticality indicator comprises:

comparing long-term historical health data associated with a patient with at least one temporal characteristic obtained from a sensor attached to a user;

detecting a change in the at least one temporal characteristic; and

changing the criticality indicator from a default low value to a high value.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing the criticality indicator to onboard resource of the communication device.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing the criticality indicator to a remote resource.

27. The method claim 24, wherein the determining the resource requirement comprises generating an indication of at least one action to be taken.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining a necessary resource for completing at least one action during a particular period of time; and

determining a resource allocation in a medical mode based on the determined necessary resource.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising exchanging information associated with the medical data criticality with at least one of a clinical decision support system or a knowledge support system.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of determining the medical data criticality or determining the resource requirement is performed using a state machine.